This invention is directed to certain diacetylenes which exhibit liquid crystalline phases or states. This invention is also directed to methods for the polymerization of such liquid crystal diacetylenes, to polymerized articles produced therefrom and to methods for the employment of such polymerized or polymerizable materials as optical, acoustical, electronic, electro-optical, electro-acoustic, mechanical, thermal, conductive, piezoelectric, pyroelectric and many other components or devices.
As described in those applications from which this application depends, diacetylenes have been known and their properties somewhat explored. Certain divinyl diacetylenes have been reported in connection with research into natural products. See Gardner et al., "Chemistry of the Higher Fungi, Part X, Further Polyacetylenic Derivatives of Decane from Various Basidiomycetes", Journal of the Chemical Society, (1960), pp. 691-697; and Bohlmann, et al., "Konstitution und Lichtabsorption Symmetrischer und unsymmekirscher Polyin-ene Sowie Synthese Eines Kohlenwasserstoffs aus Centaurea-Arten", Chemische Berichte, Vol. 91, pp. 1631-1642. No diacetylene has previously been identified as having a liquid crystalline phase or state, and no dialkenyl diacetylene has been known to be polymerizable. Moreover, the polymerization of diacetylenes including dialkenyl diacetylenes, especially divinyl diacetylenes, while they are in the liquid crystalline state, has not been known heretofore.